Baloch Journalist Accused of Terror Ties After Resignation
DOZZAAP (ZAHEDAN): Waseem Hoth, a Baloch journalist and former reporter for the state-affiliated media outlet Miyarjal, is facing serious national security charges, including alleged collaboration in a bombing that targeted the Housing Foundation building in Chabahar, Iranian Occupied Balochistan.
The charges come just weeks after his high-profile resignation and public criticism of government censorship.
According to the Baloch Activists Campaign, Hoth appeared before the Third Branch of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Chabahar on July 13 and again on July 15, where he was officially charged with “cooperating with a terrorist group” in relation to an explosion that occurred six months ago.
The court hearings follow his summons on preliminary accusations of “spreading false information,” which were later escalated to security-related offenses.
The alleged incident involves the bombing of the Housing Foundation of the Islamic Revolution office in Chabahar, a state body responsible for rural housing projects. The attack, which occurred earlier this year, resulted in property damage but no confirmed casualties. Authorities had not previously named any suspects publicly, and Hoth had not been linked to the case until now.
A source close to the journalist, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the campaign that Hoth believes the charges are politically motivated and a direct response to his resignation from Miyarjal in June.
“Wasim had publicly exposed censorship of his reporting on sensitive issues like home demolitions, environmental degradation, and healthcare inequality in Baloch-majority areas. These charges only emerged after he left the outlet and refused to stay silent,” the source said.
The formal complainant in the case is listed as the Housing Foundation of Sistan and Baluchistan, but the source alleges that the complaint was orchestrated by Miyarjal‘s managing director, Yasin Jalalzai. Jalalzai, a former intelligence-linked figure, reportedly used his political connections to push for legal action against Hoth, whom he allegedly viewed as a liability after the journalist’s public criticism of the outlet.
Hoth has denied all charges and stated in court that his reports were published with editorial approval. He also highlighted that his reporting on the demolition of Baloch homes by state agencies was factual and aligned with journalistic duties. “If there is criminal liability, it lies with the outlet’s management—not with a reporter doing his job,” he told the court, according to the source.
Hoth has been informed that he will receive a second summons for a follow-up hearing, and he may face pre-trial detention under Iran’s harsh national security laws, which are frequently used against journalists, ethnic minorities, and human rights activists.
His resignation from Miyarjal on June 7 cited censorship and pressure to alter or suppress field reports. In a statement posted to Instagram following his initial summons, Hoth wrote: “Telling the truth is not spreading lies.” The post gained wide attention among Baloch activists and press freedom advocates.
During his time at Miyarjal, Hoth had published investigative reports on the destruction of homes in underdeveloped Baloch neighbourhoods, lack of public health infrastructure in Chabahar and Dashtiari, environmental mismanagement and systemic discrimination in education—issues rarely covered by Iranian state media.
Miyarjal, although presented as a local Baloch-language outlet, is closely linked to Iran’s security agencies. It has been accused of recruiting native journalists to lend credibility to state narratives while suppressing dissenting voices under the guise of “community reporting.”
Human rights organisations have condemned the use of vague national security charges against journalists and have called on Iranian authorities to drop the case and guarantee Hoth’s safety and freedom of expression.
